Latch opener



R. EPSTEIN LATCH OPENER Dec. 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1949 wil I N VE N TOR. fiwiela lfasiez'zz Dec. 19, 1950 R. EPSTEIN 2,534,584

LATCH OPENER Filed Aug. 26, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 19, 1950 H. Brinton 00., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation 1; v

of Pennsylvania "Application August 26, 194$,Serial No. 112,517

My invention relates to a combined latchopener, needle protector and stop motion for knitting machines, and it is an object of the same to provide a device of improved character that shall not only open the needle latches and stop the machine if a needle is out of order but shall also move quickly out of the path of other needles, so as to avoid damage to or breakage of other needles. It is well known that the needles in a substantial segment of an entire needle circle may thus be damaged or broken. otherwise.

Referring to the drawings, which are made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts":

Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a circular knitting machine, showing my invention;

Figure 2, an elevation of the device.

Figure 3, an elevation of the device, viewed from another side,

Figure 4, a top plan, with certain parts in a working position.

Figure 5, a top plan, with said parts in an idle position.

Figure 6, a section on line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure '7, a section on line '|-'l of Figure 2.

Figures 8 to 12, details of parts shown in other figures.

In the drawings, reference character indicates a part of the machine that is fixed relatively to the needles and on which a bracket II is secured by a screw l2. The bracket has a post l3 on which is located a clamp M to which is secured a rod l5. A block I6 is mounted on the free end of rod [5, as by being threaded into the block and locked by a nut II.

The block 16 is hollow and encloses a coil spring l8 which bears against a collar l9 slidably mounted on a bolt 20, held in place by a nut 21 at its lower end and having a collar 22 fixed to its upper end by a setscrew 22'. A spring 23 encircles an annular flange 23' depending from collar 22.

A hollow upward extension 24 on block l6 (Figs. 8 and 11) has a cam surface at 25 and two upwardly extending fingers 26, 21. A disk 28 (Figs. 6 and on the bolt is free to swing and is supported by a fixed collar 29 on rod 20. This disk 28 has an arm 30 extending from one side and a downwardly extending lug 31, (Fig. 6), the disk 23 and connected parts being shown upside down in Fig. 10. The spring 23 is attached to arm 30 at 32' and tends to rotate the disk clock wise.

The collar I9 is connected by a neck 33 to a block l9 that is mounted to swing and to move 8 Claims. (01. 66-111) along bolt 20 (see Fig. 9). tical slot 33 leading to a bore 34 into which. the stem 35 of the needle latch opener is inserted and is clamped in place by a screw 35" entered into a threaded aperture at 35 and which springs the partstogether sufilciently to hold the stem in place. At its lower end the latch opener rod is bent at right angles to provide a part 36'lying near. the needle circle, and again bent at an angle of about 45 to provide a part 31 in the same plane with part 35, said part 31 tapering to a point situated so as to engage and open the latches of the needles in the circle.

A plate 38 of copper or other highly conductive material is fixed to the: armj30 (Figs. wand 12) by a bolt 39 with a nut-39 thereon. Insu lating washers 40, 4!) (Fig.2) are interposed be tween said plate and arm, and the upperwasher being'in one piecewith a sleeve 40 that fitsbe tween'the bolt and the arm 30 in a-hole-at 32; The lower washer fits on the sleeve 40". A conductor 4| leads from the plate 38 to a stop motion of known type.

In the working position the latch opener is located as in Figs. 4 and 6 (solid line position), i. e., it has been moved by hand clockwise as far as possible into working position. In this movement it has also been forced down by the cam face 25 acting on neck 33, the parts being held in this position by reason of engagement of the fiat upper surface of the neck with a fiat face 42 at the end of the cam face 25. The disk 28 i rotated by its spring 23 until its lug 3| strikes finger 26, the movement of the contact plate 38 being so limited that it lies near the stem 35 but out of contact therewith.

The point 3! will now open all the latches of properly acting needles, but if a broken or bent needle approaches, it will cause the rod 35 and all parts fast thereto to turn counterclockwise to the idle position indicated in broken lines in Figs. 6 and 7. As soon as the rod 35 strikes the plate 38 a circuit will be closed, permitting current to flow from conductor 4| through bolt 39, plate 38 and rod 35 to the machine which is grounded, i. e., to the part ill of Fig. l and thereby to actuate the stop mechanism of the machine, and the further movement of the latch opener assembly rotates the disk 26 and the parts carried thereby counterclockwise against the action of spring 23 to an idle position, the latch opener assembly also being rotated by its spring l8 and moving upward at the same time under control of cam 25 to its idle position. It will be seen that the stop motion is actuated promptly upon disability of a needle.

This block has we:

and that the latch opener is then quickly moved away from the needle row. Since a broken or bent needle frequently causesa smash-u a that may destroy several dozen needles, the importance of removing the latch opener, which is also a needle feeler, to a position of safety will be evident.

It will gbe obvious to those :skilled in the art that many changes may be made inthe devices herein disclosed, all without departing from the spirit of ,the invention; and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawingsapd described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Havin thus fully described-myinvention, what i I claim is 1. In a latch needle knitting -;m ac hin e, thecomr bination-of a latch opener, means for holding it in an active position adjacent a row of needles, and means tending to move it substantially transversely ,of the needle raw and also substantially axially ,of adjacent needles into an idle position.

i 2. Ade-vice as in claim :1, including an electrical conductor leading to a stop motion, and means idthe path of the :latchtopener as it moves toward zidle position, for-closing a circuit to said conductor.

, A device asin claim 2, wherein the move.- ment of the latch opener continues-after the cir: cu't-hasrbeen closed."

,4 in a latch needle knitting gnachine, the combination ofalatchopener, a. post adjacent a row of needles, a spiral cam on said post, a follower o r said camsaid followerbeing attached to said latch opener, and resilientmeans for rotating' said-follower to move the iatehopener away from the needle row and upward relatively to said post. device in claim 4, wherein said cam has a iiat at its lower end for restraining said iollower in active position relatively to the needle row.

6. A device as in claim 4, including an arm on said post, insulated conducting means on said arm, a spring tending to rotate said arm toward the latch opener, and means for holdin said conducting means out of contact with the latch opener during normal operation of the knitting machine.

7 ;;In a latohneedle knitting machine, the combination of a latch opener, a post adjacent a row of needles, a spiral cam on said post, a follower ior said cam, said follower carrying the latch pener, a spiral spring surrounding the post and serving to rotate the follower and to move it :ppward along said post, an arm loosely mounted "on-the :post, insulated conducting means on said arm for connection to a stop motion, a spiral ,spriiresurrounding said post and connected to RUBEN EPSTEIN.

'RE F ENCES TED The iei omns refe ences a e tor record in the file is patent;

UNIIED fiTATrES PATENTS Number "Name Date 629,155 Elliott et a1. -T July 18,1899 1,139,173 Elliott 'May 11, 1915 1,990,416 Page Feb. 5, "1935 

